Master of Science in Education

Description and Outcomes

If you are a current or former prekindergarten through 12th grade teacher, the Master of Science in Education program and its curriculum could provide you with the knowledge and practical experience that meet nationally recognized standards for such a degree. This is an advanced teacher preparation program in which all coursework contains job-embedded assignments and, therefore, requires you to teach a consistent group of learners. Your Admissions Advisor can assist you with finding a consistent group of learners. If you do not have a consistent group of learners to apply theory to practice, you will not be eligible to enroll. Courses teach you to consider how to most effectively promote student learning and development and school achievement, and demonstrate your understanding of the program's four knowledge goals: diverse learners, academic content and pedagogy, assessment, and professional responsibilities and relationships. The program is also designed to help you become proficient in five program competencies (outcomes), which are based upon national and professional standards for practicing teachers.

Note: the Master of Science in Education is not available in all states. Refer to the State Approvals section for details.

Concentrations

You will focus on a concentration in educational leadership as part of the leadership track or choose from two standard concentrations: teaching literacy and language or teaching students with special needs.

Program Length

The Master of Science in Education program consists of a minimum of 46 or 54 quarter credit hours, depending on your choice of concentration. Upon successful completion of the program, you will be awarded a master of science degree.

Program Outcomes

Graduates are committed to students and their learning.

Graduates know the subjects they teach and how to teach those subjects to students.

Graduates are responsible for managing and monitoring student learning.

Graduates think systematically about their practice and learn from experience.

Graduates are members of learning communities.

Educational Leadership Outcomes

Evaluate school contexts with attention to relevant theory, philosophy, sociocultural perspectives, legal, and research-based best practices.

Demonstrate an adaptability of strategic approach to leadership that respects cultural diversity and is informed by the needs of the school community.

Adhere to ethical standards in all school leadership activities.

Professional Competencies

In addition to the discipline-specific outcomes, professional competencies are integrated throughout your academic program. You can review the professional competencies associated with your academic program in the graduate School of General Education section of this Catalog.

Program Availability

Policies

Admission Requirements

To enroll in the Master of Science in Education program, you:

Must submit an unofficial transcript indicating receipt of a bachelor’s degree from a college or university accredited by a regional accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. You must submit an official copy to the Registrar’s Office by the last day of the first term.

Must be a current or former prekindergarten through 12th grade teacher.

For verification purposes, you must submit one of the following items:

A copy of your prekindergarten through 12th grade teaching license (current or expired)

A copy of your teaching contract showing evidence of employment as a prekindergarten through 12th grade Teacher of Record/Classroom Teacher

On school letterhead, a letter from the principal at the school of your employ that clearly designates you as the Teacher of Record/Classroom Teacher

Progression Requirements

The grade of "C" is the minimum acceptable grade for courses in the Master of Science in Education program. If you earn a grade of "F" in a course, you are required to immediately retake the course. You may only take a course twice and must earn the required grade of "C" or higher. Failure to earn the required grade will result in dismissal from Kaplan University after the second attempt.

You will be placed on immediate probation if your cumulative GPA has fallen below 3.0.

You can enroll in no more than one course per term without written permission from the Dean of the School of Education.

You may not use transfer credit to replace ED512 Action Research I I or ED572 Advanced Action Research without written permission from the Dean of the School of Education. You must complete these courses at Kaplan University.

If you received National Board Certified Teacher (NBCT) status through the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) prior to enrollment, you may receive transfer credit for the following courses:

To receive credit, by the end of the first term you must submit an official transcript from the American Council on Education (ACE) for review and verification by the Prior Learning Assessment Center. The ACE transcript displaying two courses, NBCT-0001 and NBCT-0002, with credit recommendations of 3 and 6 semester hours, respectively, can be obtained by visiting http://www.acenet.edu/transcripts. Transcripts received by the Prior Learning Assessment Center after the end of the first term may be denied eligibility for an official transfer credit evaluation.

Certification, State Board, and National Board Exams

You are responsible for understanding the requirements of certification, state board, or national board licensing exams. Such requirements may change during the course of your program. You are not automatically certified in any way upon program completion. Although certain programs are designed to prepare you to take various certification and licensing exams, Kaplan University cannot guarantee you will be eligible to take these exams or become certified. Your eligibility may depend on your work experience, completion of education and/or degree requirements, not having a criminal record, meeting other licensure or certification requirements, or the program or the University itself having appropriate accreditation or licensure.

Individual state and school system requirements vary and may change from time to time. Thus, Kaplan University makes no representations or warranties as to whether programs meet the specific requirements for any individual state or school system for certification or pay increase purposes. You are encouraged to independently research the requirements in any state or school system in which you intend to seek certification or a pay increase.